Power transmission.



A. KUEFER.

POWER TRANSMISSION. APPLICATION men IAN, 22. 1916.

1,241,740. atented (M21917 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTHONY KUEFEB, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOE TO ROBERT B. WILSONvTRlTSTEE.0F TOLEDO, OHIO;

POWER TRANSMISSION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

Application med January 22, 1916. Serial No. 78,578.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Au'ruonr' KnnFER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State. of Ohio, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Power Transmission, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to power transmission. and has for its object toproduce in the form of a simple single unit a self contained structurecomprising a casing having therein a balanced double worm drive in whichand thrust is eliminated with the friction and wear inpident thereto,this unit being economically utilized as a drive for mocha. nix-ms forvariopspurposes, the power being applied to the protruding end of theworm s iaft and transmitted to each of two driven shafts revolving inOpposite directions at equal speed, the rotary motion being applied byeither in opposite directions. The construction is such that thetransmission is complete in itself and requires only to be connected upwith the power on theone hand and the parts to be driven on the otherhand.

In the drawing- Figure 1 an elevation of the device with the casing, insection. showing the opera ting parts.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with the casing in secti an'd Fig. 3is an end View of the same with the casing in section.

The device comprises a casing or housin S and its side walls supportparallel shafts 1,1 suitably journaled in bearings 2, these shaftscarrying iutermeshing spur gears 3, 3 rigidly fixed upon the saidshafts. The shafts also carry worm wheels 4, 4, one of right hand and,the other of left hand, which are suitably spaced and'rigidly fixedeach. to its respective shaft. Extending at right angles to the shafts 1and 1 is.a worm. shaft 5 spaced and journaled in bearings 5', thebearings being arranged at the end and center of the casing. The wormshaft carries right and left hand worms spaced and rigidly fixed to saidshaft and umshing with the right and left hand Worm wheels 4. and 45.

Thus constructed and conneitcd, it is manifest that the spur gears 3 and3' conporting the parallel shafts 1 and 1 have the cifect to preventendwise movement of the worms in their relation to the worm wheels, ineither direction, under the ressure of a load on either one or both 0the parallel shafts.

The op osed worms being of equal diameter an their threads being equalin numher and of e ual opposite pitch, each worm receives the ack endthrust of the other and exactly counterbalances it by its back endthrust, and each worm receives the back end thrust of the other in aidof its for ward thrust, whereby it will be seen that there is not onlyno necessity of using and thrust bearings, but the power that in thesingle worm drive is absorbed and expended in such bearings for no otherpurpose than to prevent endwise movement of the worm on the worm wheel,is utilized as active power to rotate the worm wheels and therewiththeir shafts in opposite directions.

It will furtherbe seen that each worm, being ri id on the driving shaft,will transmit one alf the power of the driving shaft through itsrespective worm wheel to its respective parallel shaft, and, that thetwo intermeshin spur gears have the function of uniting t c power of theparallel shafts and adopts each parallel shaft as a receiver of thewhole power of the driving shaft in either direction and at equal speed,and that either parallel shaft is adapted to be connected to the loadand transmit thereto the whole power of the driving shaft.

What I claim is -1. An article of manufacture adapted to be utilized asa unit in. driving different mechanisms, coin rising an inclosingcasing, a single riving shaft extending through the casing from end toend, opposed worms carried thereby within the casing, parallel shaftsextending laterally through the casing, worm gears thereon meshin withthe worms, and meshing spur gears a so carried by said shafts within thecasing to balance the Worm gearing and prevent end thrust, both ends ofthe driving shaft being adapted for engagement with the source of powerand each end of each of the other shafts adapted to be connected to amechanism to be driven, substantially as described.

2. An article of manufacture adapted to be utilized as a unit to drivedifferent mechanisms, comprising an inclosing oasing, a driving shaftextending lengthwise throu h the upper part of the casing, two shaftsextending parallel laterall through the casing at right angleq to therst sha K? in a, plane 561% said first shaft, a pair 0 5 equal oppbfiflWbiifls'fiitedly mounted on sold flrstsheft, a 8f opposed worm wfieolefi 1y mounmmofie emewh, parallel shaft Wibifi the casing, and meslfifig'with their msgeofiv worms a. pair of meshing 1o spur De #8" independent]and fixedly Ifiounte ofi 6h ach para el shaft, withip the casing, bothof said parallel shafts having an end portion formed so as to bedirootly connected to a part to be driven.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto 15 set my hand at Toledo, Ohio,this 20th day. of January, 1916, in the presence of twosubscribingwitnesses.

ANTHONY KUEFER.

In presence of-- Em A. RIEHM, Bmuoma OBnrmq.

